[Lord-Voldemort]

Or are those who spout this view saying it because they themselves grew up with one mother and one father and couldn't think of having it any other way?

[ufo2012]

Yes, they do.

[cl_steele]

dont need but its probably prefferable..

[eelnais]

One mother and one mother, one father and one father, one mother and one father, one mother, one father, a brother, a sister, a grandparent, uncles or aunties, foster parents...all possible to raise a child. I don't see a problem with any.

[Giant]

I'm sure two loving fathers or two loving mothers would be better than an abusive or alcoholic/drug addicted parent.

Gay couples tend to be more loving and caring parents as they choose to become parents and are willing to put themselves through a lot of stress to get the documentation, living standards etc. right, unlike some parents who may have them accidentally and be unfit economically and psychologically to have children.

Of course, this isn't the case for most heterosexual parents, just some.

[dr-jimmy]

No, lots of people who have single parents have a fine childhood.

[Above.The.Empyrean]

Isaac Newton had one mother who in fact reneged upon the 'mother's vow' and left him to his own contraptions. Sometimes to endure the suffering early on is better.

[hatwoman]

As long as your parent/parents love you, it doesn't matter what gender or whatever. At the end of the day, a child needs love, plain and simple.

[brb_gone_gym]

(Original post by Giant)
I'm sure two loving fathers or two loving mothers would be better than an abusive or alcoholic/drug addicted parent.

This is a bit of a grim argument.
True many are adopted but this implies still that they are worse parents than a normal heterosexual couple.

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

The only thing that children could struggle with would be being "different", but in this day and age there are so many different family set ups that it's not as much of a problem anymore. I would rather be a single parent doing a good job looking after my child than have a partner who was a rubbish parent. One of the best parents I know is a single Mum, she does an absolutely fantastic job, and her little boy is a lovely, happy and bubbly little thing.

[ufo2012]

With gay parents there is a higher likelihood that the children would also be more likely to be gay and it wouldn't suffice to have a nation full of gays... there then would be no more children born.

[Lord-Voldemort]

(Original post by ufo2012)
With gay parents there is a higher likelihood that the children would also be more likely to be gay and it wouldn't suffice to have a nation full of gays... there then would be no more children born.

Evidence? Or troll?

[Giant]

(Original post by brb_gone_gym)
This is a bit of a grim argument.
True many are adopted but this implies still that they are worse parents than a normal heterosexual couple.

Maybe it came across that way. They are just perceived to be worse - so some sort of middle ground has to be taken to prevent my opinion being seen as biased or too lopsided, if you see what I mean.

But if you read the rest of my post, I made sure to state why they can be better than many heterosexual couples.

[minimarshmallow]

(Original post by ufo2012)
With gay parents there is a higher likelihood that the children would also be more likely to be gay and it wouldn't suffice to have a nation full of gays... there then would be no more children born.

There are at least two things wrong with this post.
Having gay parents will not make children gay or even increase the likelihood they will be gay - the same way having straight parents doesn't make you straight.
If everyone was gay, children would still be born. Gay people have their own children, being gay doesn't make you infertile.

[Schott]

I think we can basically settle this, /thread.

We do this by ignoring people's ill-founded 'opinions' and instead just focusing on the evidence. With an issue as serious as this, any comments should be supported by hard evidence. So what is the evidence?

The evidence is that children with same-sex parents grow up just as well socially adjusted and 'normal' as children with opposite sex parents. This is something which is not really debated within the psychology profession. Virtually all scientific research concludes there is no problem with same-sex parenting. Ergo, there no NEED to have two parents of the opposite sex. The children are not disadvantaged. The children are not more likely to be gay (though may feel more prepared to come out as gay, if they are, because their parents may be more accepting), and do not have problems relating to the opposite sex.

Judith Stacey, of New York University, stated: “Rarely is there as much consensus in any area of social science as in the case of gay parenting, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics and all of the major professional organizations with expertise in child welfare have issued reports and resolutions in support of gay and lesbian parental rights”. These organizations include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Child Welfare League of America, the North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Canadian Psychological Association.

In 2006, Gregory M. Herek stated in American Psychologist: "If gay, lesbian, or bisexual parents were inherently less capable than otherwise comparable heterosexual parents, their children would evidence problems regardless of the type of sample. This pattern clearly has not been observed."


So the answer, based on evidence, rather than prejudice, is clear. Those who are concerned about this would be better to engage themselves with issues that REALLY affect the welfare of children, rather than endorsing their own unevidenced prejudices.

[No Man]

If you can have single parents, you can have same sex parents imo.

[mmmpie]

The argument usually ends up turning into

"I would hate it if I was adopted by a gay couple"

"Yes, but you (a) have never wanted for parents and a family, and (b) are now an adult or thereabouts with your discomfort and prejudice about the idea already established - your reaction now is not the reaction that a child would have in that situation"

[OU Student]

Single parent doesn't always equal **** parent. Sometimes, a single parent can be better than a couple who don't look after their child properly.

[heyhey922]

(Original post by ufo2012)
With gay parents there is a higher likelihood that the children would also be more likely to be gay.

Proof?

[heyhey922]

(Original post by ufo2012)
Yes, they do.

False

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...der21_ST_N.htm